Electbjcaiiy-heated oil-stbaineb



W. H. ECKMAN.

ELECTRICALLY HEATED 01L STRAINER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23, 1920.

1,395,949. 'PatentedNov. 1,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRICALLY-HEATED OIL-STRAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed April 23, 1920. Serial No. 876,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. ECKMAN,

' a citizen of. the United States of America,

residing at Mankato, in the county of Blue Earth and State of. Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Heated Oil-Strainers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 4 This invention relates to improvements in electrical heaters for lubricating oil contained by the crankcase of an internal combustion engine.

It is commonly known that during cold or frigid weather the lubricating oil employed for lubricating engine bearln as contained by the crank case of such engine, frequently becomes quite cold, and by reason of this temperature, congeals, thereby forming a moisture in the crank case which upon contacting withthe cold walls of the case and the oil circulating pipes of the lubricating system condenses. This water of condensation promptly freezes and by clogging the pipes or outlets of the crank case and the circulating ipes, prevents distribution of the oil un er influence of the usual oil pum hence ermitting the burning of the unlu ricated earings.

By theuse of my improved electrical heating device, I am enabled to promptly thaw such formations of ice upon the starting of the engine, in order that proper distribution of lubrication to the points desired to be lubricated may be effected, and further, the lubricating oil may be maintained at a temperature such as will prevent the congealing of the same, with the resultant elimination of the presence of detrimental moisture incident to the low temperature of the oil when the engine is not functioning.

Other objects of this invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the'invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood bydevice, illustrating the same arranged in the usual 011 strainer positioned in the crank of an internal combustion engine, such strainer being shown in section, together with a fragmentary section of the crank case.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connection with which like characters of reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, my improved heating device is shown attached to the usual oil strainer C positioned in the crank case of an internal combustion engine, said strainer, as is usual, consisting of a perforate cylindrical body, the inner end of which is closed by a suitable ca having screw threaded engagementat 4 with the same, while the outer end thereof is connected with the flanged cap Shaving bolts 6' passed through the marginal portion thereof and the corresponding portions of the adjacent'end of said crank case whereby to support the strainer in a substantially rigid horizontal position; The ordinary oil feed pipe extends from the cap 6 for a well known purpose.

Positioned within and extending longitudinally of the cylindrical strainer C, is my improved heating device, consisting of a cylindrical insulating body A preferably of porcelain, having one end thereof provided with an annular flange 2, the marginal portion of which engages in a suitable manner, as at 1, adjacent portions of the strainer C, while the inner end of said insulator is connected by a suitable element 3 with the cap The inner end of this wire is grounded as at 4 to the strainer C, while the remaining end thereof extends from the insulator through an insulating bushing 5 arranged in the cap 6 upwardly into engagement with one terminal of a suitable source of electrical energy from which it continues from the opposite terminal into engagement with the circuit closing device or switch S. A second conductor 0 is mounted at one end of a part of the engine to the frame of a motor vehicle on which the engine is arranged, while the remaining end thereof is connected to the opposite contact terminal of the switch S.

In operation, and assuming that the oil in the crank case has become cold and that certain formations of ice have accrued in the crank case adjacent the portion thereof and in the oil distributing pipes associated with the lubricating system of the engine, to remove such format-ions of ice and to bring the lubricating oil to temperature whereat it will best circulate, it is only necessary to close the switch S of the circuit hereinbefore out-lined, whereupon the resistance started by the coiled wire B, will be heated to such a. degree as to transmit its heat to the oil, thus raising the temperature of the same and with this increase in temperature, causing the melting of the ice formations upon contact with the oil therewith under influence of the oil pump of the engine lubricating system. It will be also understood that the oil may be kept at a temperature such as will prevent congealing of the same by subjection to cold or frigid weather, hence, preventing the formation of ice upon the walls of the crank case of the distributing device of the oiling system.

I also desire to have it understood that instead ofproviding a form of switch such as herein shown, I may also employ a step-bystep circuit closing device, that is, a rheostatic switch, in order that the flow of current through the resistance B may be regulated to different temperatures.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable modification, and such modification as is Within the scope of my claim' I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

In combination wit-h a crank case of an internal combustion engine, a cylindrical strainer arranged'in said crank case at one end thereof curved outwardly and formed with a constricted outlet port, a bracket plate having a concave-convex portion formed therein for receiving and supporting said curved end of the strainer thereupon, said bracket plate having an outlet port corresponding to the port in the strainer, the remainin end of the strainer being closed, an elongated insulating support arranged within said strainer having a marginal flange formed on one of its ends for maintaining the body of the support in spaced relation from the walls of the strainer, an insulating piece engaging the opposite end of the support and the corresponding end wall of the strainer for maintaining the adjacent portion of the support spaced from the wall of said strainer but to permit of engagement with the support upon removal of the adjacent end closure of the strainer, and a resistance unit arranged upon the insulating support.

October 20th, 1919.

WALTER HERBERT ECKMAN. 

